Device for shooting paper currency

ABSTRACT

A money gun shoots out paper currency and includes a receptacle for placing money and an exit slot from which the money is shot. The money gun may be used, for example, in clubs to allow customers to spend money faster while tipping dancers. By putting money into the money gun, it frees up the customer from using their hands and keeps count of all the money he or she is spending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to currency dispensing devices and, moreparticularly, to a toy-like gun that shoots out real paper currency.

When visiting clubs, people often give paper currency as tips fordancers. They may take out a bill and hand-deliver it to the dancer.This takes time and effort on the club customer and tips may be limitednot by what the club customer wants to tip the dancer, but by the timeand effort needed to get and deliver the currency.

In some situations, the club customer may have a particular budget fortipping dancers in the club. However, without any way to track how muchis being given out, the customer may find they have over spent beyondtheir tipping budget.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved apparatus for deliveringpaper currency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a device for shooting papercurrency therefrom comprises an outer gun casing; a cover movablebetween an open position and a closed position, the cover storing papercurrency thereunder; a conveyor operable to move currency stored underthe cover out through a currency exit slot; and a tension plateproviding a resilient force against the currency stored under the coverto press the currency against the conveyor.

In another aspect of the present invention, a device for shooting papercurrency therefrom comprises an outer gun casing; a cover movablebetween an open position and a closed position, the cover storing papercurrency thereunder; a conveyor operable to move currency stored underthe cover out through a currency exit slot; an electric motor operableto turn the conveyor; at least one battery supplying power to theelectric motor; a speed control switch operable to adjust an operationspeed of the electric motor, thereby adjusting a currency eject speed atwhich currency exits the currency exit slot during operation of thedevice; and a tension plate providing a resilient force against thecurrency stored under the cover to press the currency against theconveyor.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a money gun, in use, according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the money gun of FIG. 1, showing itsdome cover open;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the money gun of FIG. 1,showing batteries removed from a battery compartment thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a money gunthat shoots out paper currency. The money gun includes a receptacle forplacing money and an exit slot from which the money is shot. The moneygun may be used, for example, in clubs to allow customers to spend moneyfaster while tipping dancers. By putting money into the money gun, itfrees up the customer from using their hands and keeps count of all themoney he or she is spending.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4, a money gun 10 (also referred to asgun 10) includes an outer gun casing 12 and a dome cover 14 under whichcurrency 58 can be disposed. The dome cover 14 may be movable from anopen position to a closed position via hinges 16, for example. A lockingclip 18 on the dome cover 14 may fit into a locking notch 20 formed inthe gun casing 12 to allow the dome cover 14 to be retained in theclosed position. Other mechanisms to pivot and close the dome cover 14are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

The dome cover 14 may include a currency tension plate 22 to apply aforce onto a surface of the currency 58 stored under the dome cover 14when it is in the closed position. Springs 24, for example, may be usedto resiliently apply a force onto the tension plate 22.

A conveyor belt 50 may be disposed to contact at least a portion of theone side of the currency 58 disposed under the dome cover 14. Thetension plate 22 may provide force on the currency 58 to hold it againstthe conveyor belt 50. The conveyor belt 50 may operate between twoconveyor belt drive wheels 52, for example. When the conveyor belt 50moves, it may be operable to force a sheet of the currency 58 out of acurrency exit slot 26 of the gun 10. The conveyor belt 50 may be, forexample a 9-inch by 2-inch flat, bed-like conveyor belt. A rubber mat(not shown) may be disposed on the outer periphery to provide a surfaceto help grip the currency 58. Other surface preparations may be used, orthe conveyor belt 50 can be made of a material that will adequately gripthe currency 58 when the conveyor belt 50 is activated.

An electric motor 54 may be disposed to move one of the conveyor beltdrive wheels 52. An electric motor drive belt 54 may be used to transferrotational energy from the electric motor 54 to the conveyor belt drivewheel 52. In some embodiments, the electric motor 54 may directly drivethe conveyor belt drive wheel 52. Other mechanisms may be used totransfer the rotational energy from the electric motor 54 to drive theconveyor belt 50.

The electric motor 54 may be powered by one or more batteries 46 storedin a battery compartment 60. A battery cover 44 may cover the batterycompartment 60 and allow the user to access and change the batteries 46as may be needed. Battery contacts 48 may be used to electricallyconnect terminals of the batteries 46 with wires feeding the electricmotor 54.

A hand grip 42 may be provided in the gun casing 12 to allow a user tohandle the gun 10. A trigger/switch 28 may be provided and oftenprotected by a trigger/finger guard 30 to prevent unintentionalactivation of the trigger/switch 28. The trigger/switch 28 may be usedto control the power delivered from the batteries 46 to the electricmotor 54. When the trigger/switch 28 is in a neutral, non-depressedposition, power is disconnected to the electric motor 54. When thetrigger/switch 28 is activated by the user, power is connected and theelectric motor 54 is electrically connected with the batteries 46.

The gun 10 may include a high intensity aiming lamp 34, such as a lightemitting diode (LED) lamp. This may provide a light in the directionwhere the currency 58 will exit the currency exit slot 26.

The gun 10 may also include gun activity lights 36. These may be, forexample disposed on the front and sides of the conveyor belt 50 andvisible through holes in the outer gun casing 12, for example. In someembodiments, the gun activity lights 36 may simply be disposed for viewon the outer gun casing 12. Various positions, locations, number oflights, and action of the lights may be provided within the scope of thepresent invention. Internal wiring 32 may be used to interconnect thevarious electrical components inside the gun casing 12.

The gun 10 may be provided with a currency firing speed adjustmentbutton 38 to adjust the speed of the conveyor belt 50 when thetrigger/switch 28 is activated. The speed adjustment button 38 may allowa user to control the rate that currency 58 is shot out of the currencyexit slot 26 when the trigger/switch 28 is activated and held in place.

The gun 10 may also be provided with a currency used display 40 to showhow many pieces of paper currency 58 have been delivered out of thecurrency exit slot 26. This may help a user keep track of the currency58 used. A reset button (not shown) may be used to reset the currencyused display 40 back to zero. The currency used display 40 may beprovided in various forms, such as an electronic form or a mechanicalform, and may use various methods to count the currency 58 deliveredfrom the currency exit slot 26. For example, the currency used display40 may measure the distance traveled for the conveyor belt 50 andincrease a counter on the currency used display 40 each time thedistance traveled reaches a single cycle to distribute a single piece ofcurrency 58.

The gun 10 may also be made with a speaker 62 formed therein. Thespeaker 62 may be used to, for example, generate a sound duringoperation of the gun 10.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for shooting paper currency therefrom,comprising: an outer gun casing; a cover movable between an openposition and a closed position, the cover storing paper currencythereunder; a conveyor operable to move currency stored under the coverout through a currency exit slot; and a tension plate providing aresilient force against the currency stored under the cover to press thecurrency against the conveyor.
 2. The device of claim 1, furthercomprising an electric motor operable to turn the conveyor.
 3. Thedevice of claim 2, further comprising at least one battery supplyingpower to the electric motor.
 4. The device of claim 3, furthercomprising a trigger controlling power supplied to the electric motorfrom the at least one battery.
 5. The device of claim 4, furthercomprising a trigger guard extended about a periphery of the trigger. 6.The device of claim 2, further comprising a speed control switchoperable to adjust an operation speed of the electric motor, therebyadjusting a currency eject speed at which currency exits the currencyexit slot during operation of the device.
 7. The device of claim 1,further comprising a lamp adjacent to the current exit slot.
 8. Thedevice of claim 1, further comprising a counter displaying a number ofpieces of currency shot out of the currency exit slot.
 9. The device ofclaim 1, further comprising a speaker operable to make sounds during useof the device.
 10. A device for shooting paper currency therefrom,comprising: an outer gun casing; a cover movable between an openposition and a closed position, the cover storing paper currencythereunder; a conveyor operable to move currency stored under the coverout through a currency exit slot; an electric motor operable to turn theconveyor; at least one battery supplying power to the electric motor; aspeed control switch operable to adjust an operation speed of theelectric motor, thereby adjusting a currency eject speed at whichcurrency exits the currency exit slot during operation of the device;and a tension plate providing a resilient force against the currencystored under the cover to press the currency against the conveyor.